30.12.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 440/67

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having regard to the proposal from the Commission of 5 December 2012 for a Council Recommendation on establishing a Youth Guarantee (COM(2012)0729),

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having regard to the Commission Communication on the implementation of the Youth Opportunities Initiative (COM(2012)0727),

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having regard to the Commission Communication ‘Youth Opportunities Initiative’ (COM(2011)0933), and to the European Parliament’s resolution of 24 May 2012 on the Youth Opportunities Initiative (1) and the question for oral answer to the Commission on the Youth Opportunities Initiative (O-000106/2012 — B7-0113/2012),

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having regard to the Statement of the Members of the European Council of 30 January 2012 entitled ‘Towards growth-friendly consolidation and job-friendly growth’,

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having regard to its resolution of 6 July 2010 on promoting youth access to the labour market, strengthening trainee, internship and apprenticeship status (2),

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having regard to the Eurofound report of 13 June 2012 entitled ‘Youth Guarantee: Experiences from Finland and Sweden’ (3),

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having regard to the Commission Communication ‘Youth on the Move’ (COM(2010)0477),

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having regard to the International Labour Organisation’s paper of September 2012 entitled ‘Global employment outlook: Bleak labour market prospects for youth’ (4) and to the resolution and conclusions of the 101st Session of the International Labour Conference, Geneva, 2012, entitled ‘The youth unemployment crisis: A call for action’ (5),

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having regard to Rules 115(5) and 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.

whereas, due to the economic crisis, the overall unemployment rate had by October 2012 risen to the unprecedented level of 10,7 %, with 25,91 million people looking for work (6);

B.

whereas the youth unemployment rate has soared to 23,4 %, leaving 5,68 million young people unemployed, in part reflecting mismatches between skills supply and labour market demands though often regardless of the education levels of job seekers; whereas research shows that youth unemployment often leaves permanent scars, such as an increased risk of future unemployment and of permanent social exclusion;

C.

whereas the Members of the European Council, in their statement of 29 June 2012, urged the Member States to step up efforts to increase youth employment with ‘the objective that within a few months of leaving school, young people receive a good quality offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or a traineeship’;

D.

whereas a Youth Guarantee would contribute to the attainment of three of the Europe 2020 strategy objectives, namely that 75 % of the of the population aged 20-64 should be employed, that early school-leaving rates should be below 10 %, and that at least 20 million people should be lifted out of poverty and social exclusion;

E.

whereas the crisis has led to a rise in precarious forms of employment for young people, with short-term and part-time contracts and unremunerated work placement schemes all too often replacing existing jobs;

F.

whereas the cost to the EU of inaction on the problem of young people with no employment, education or training (NEETs) is estimated to be about EUR 153 billion, corresponding to 1,2 % of the EU’s GDP, and whereas there are currently 7,5 million NEETs under 25 in the EU;

G.

whereas the Commission demands, in its Youth Employment Package, a Youth Guarantee;

1.

Strongly supports the initiative by the Commission to propose a Council Recommendation on Youth Guarantee schemes;

2.

Calls on the Member States’ ministers for employment and social affairs to agree on a Council recommendation during the EPSCO Council in February 2013 aimed at implementing Youth Guarantee schemes in all Member States; emphasises that the Youth Guarantee is not a job guarantee but an instrument ensuring that all young EU citizens and legal residents up to the age of 25 years, and recent graduates under 30, receive a good-quality offer of employment, continued education or apprenticeship within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education; stresses that Youth Guarantee schemes should effectively improve the situation of NEETs; underlines that Youth Guarantee schemes should be eligible for specific forms of European funding, especially in the Member States with the highest youth unemployment rates;

3.

Takes the view that Union funding of Youth Guarantee schemes should play a key role, that the European Social Fund (ESF) in particular should be structured to enable the Youth Guarantee to be financed, and that the ESF should therefore be allocated at least 25 % of Structural and Cohesion Funds; believes, however, that an appropriate balance between EU and Member State funding should be striven for;

4.

Recognises that young people are not a homogenous group, that they face different social environments and, therefore, that Member States have different levels of readiness for the adoption of a Youth Guarantee; in this context, all young people should first receive a personalised assessment of their needs, which should be followed up with specifically tailored services;

5.

Emphasises that close cooperation between the Commission and the Member States and, at national level, among (sectoral) social partners, local and regional authorities, public and private employment services and local and regional education and training institutes is essential to the effective implementation of Youth Guarantee schemes;

6.

Notes that Youth Guarantee schemes should be accompanied by a quality framework in order to ensure that the education, training and jobs offered include appropriate pay, working conditions and health and safety standards;

7.

Welcomes the Commission’s suggestion to provide, through an ‘Employment Committee’, multilateral surveillance of the implementation of the Youth Guarantee schemes, and asks to be associated with this committee;

8.

Calls on the Member States to reform, in particular, education and training standards for young people, in order to significantly increase their employment and life opportunities;

9.

Recognises that Member States have different level of readiness for the adoption of Youth Guarantee and calls on the Commission, in particular, to support those Member States which are undergoing financial constraints; urges the Commission, within the framework of the European Semester, to closely monitor and report on the implementation of Youth Guarantees and, where needed, to name those Member States who fail to establish Youth Guarantees;

10.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and the Council.